Pallet rack sheet goods display

ABSTRACT

A display intended use on a conventional pallet rack having at least two horizontal telescopically extensible tubular members, an inverted L-shaped support including a first portion adapted to engage an interior step of an existing pallet rack cross-support of a pallet rack and a second portion depending from the first portion and fixed to an end of one of the tubular members. A plurality of hooks movable along the length of and supported by each telescopically extensible pair of tubular members, the hooks being adapted to engage, directly or indirectly, an upper edge of sheet goods for suspended display within the pallet rack. Two or more adjacent telescopically extensible pairs of tubular members can be coupled together at a fixed separation distance to provide multiple rows of displayed sheet goods.

BACKGROUND

The present invention is directed to displays for sheet goods and,specifically, to display racks for sheet goods such as desk mats, floormats, carpet mats and chair mats used to protect an underlying surface.In particular, the present invention relates to a rack for displayingsuch sheet goods in an attractive manner that is designed to besupported by a conventional pallet rack.

Pallet racks originally received wide usage in warehouses wheretypically they would extend in a plurality of rows for substantially theheight of the building with space being provided between the rows forforklift trucks to move. The forklift trucks would store and removestandard sized pallets supporting stock on the shelves. More recently,the opening of large warehouse stores to the public have utilized suchpallet racks for direct access by the consumer. Generally, upperportions of the pallet racks are still used to store standard sizedpallets of stock, while lower portions of the pallet racks may bearranged in to display the goods for commercial selection by theconsumer. In the lower portions of the pallet racks, the goods are oftenarranged so that the consumer can select individual items that can thenbe placed by the consumer into or onto a cart for transport to acheck-out location.

Desk mats and chair mats for office and home use are well known. Suchmats can be applied over carpeting and can have short and oftenrelatively sharp spikes on the undersides thereof which hold the matsfirmly in place on the carpeting. If merely arranged in a stack, suchmats can be difficult or awkward to carry and/or otherwise handlesafely. Such mats are now being found increasingly in retail outlets,compounding the need for a safe display of such goods. While such matsmay be boxed, the boxes add cost and can be themselves unwieldy. As aresult, boxes are not used to any great extent in the retailenvironment. Thus, with increasing retail activity, new displays arealso required. Such mats present display problems since, absent the useof boxes, they do not stand alone unless wound. Even standing on edge ina wound or partially wound state, however, the mats are relativelyunstable.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,852 discloses a rack for displaying merchandise,especially flat sample pieces of carpets, tiles, or other sheet goods.The rack has two spaced-apart standards and a bar extends laterallybetween and interconnects the two standards. A plurality of carriers arereceived on the bar, each carrier having a flat upright body with anopening or hook at an upper end engaging the bar. Each carrier body hasa pair of offset hooks to form a bracket for engagement with a handle ofthe merchandise.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,842 discloses a display stand specifically fordisplaying mats for retail purchase, the mats being folded over so thatthe spikes are within the folded mat. The display stand has a pair ofvertical standards, braced by horizontal reinforcement rods, which aresupported on a pair of leg assemblies. A horizontal display rod is fixedperpendicularly to one of the reinforcement rods using a conventionalfastener. A number of display hooks are fixed to the display rod by anysuitable means so that the folded mats can be suspended from the hooks.

There remains a need for even better displays specifically intended foruse in the pallet rack environment that are sufficiently robust towithstand the wear caused by the stocking and selection activities ofparticularly heavy sheet goods, for example, folded desk chair mats andfloor mats.

SUMMARY

One such display intended for mounting on a conventional pallet rack hasat least two horizontal tubular members that are telescopicallyextensible relative to each other. Each of the horizontal tubularmembers has one end that includes an inverted L-shaped member forengaging an existing cross-support of a pallet rack. The invertedL-shaped member includes a first portion adapted to engage an interiorstep of an existing cross-support of a pallet rack. A second portion ofthe inverted L-shaped member depends from the first portion and is fixedto an end of one of the tubular members. A plurality of hooks can besituated on and supported by each telescopically extensible pair oftubular members, the hooks being adapted to engage, directly orindirectly, an upper edge of sheet goods for suspended display withinthe pallet rack. The plurality of hooks can be movable along the lengthof the tubular members to permit easy access to the sheet goods by thepurchasing public. Two or more adjacent telescopically extensible pairsof tubular members can be coupled together at a fixed separationdistance to provide multiple rows of displayed sheet goods.

One feature of the present display is its enhanced stability andstrength, which assures longer life under the rigors of heavy productdisplay usage in the large warehouse store environment. Another featureof the present display stand is its expansibility to provide additionalspace for display of the sheet goods in question. Other features of thepresent display and the corresponding advantages of those features willbe come apparent from the following discussion of a preferred embodimentof the present invention, exemplifying the best mode of practicing thepresent invention, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasisinstead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the different views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art pallet rack in which thepresent display can find utility.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present display situated in place onthe prior art pallet rack displaying folded desk chair mats.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is detail elevation view of the inverted L-shaped member mountedon the rack as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective detail view on one end of a tubular membersupported on the rack by the inverted L-shaped member.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A portion of a typical prior art rack 8 is shown in FIG. 1 having a pairof uprights 10 and a cross-support beam member 12 adapted to connectdetachably at either end to the uprights 10, as shown and described inU.S. Pat. No. 3,351,212, to provide long racks for supporting pallets(not shown), one spaced above the other, in a warehouse or a largewarehouse-type store open to the public. Each upright 10 is typically aformed steel channel having in-turned rims 14 at the rear edges of theirflanges 16. The front face 18 of the upright is typically perforatedwith two rows of vertically disposed slots 20 of a generally keyholeshape. The slots 20 are typically narrower at their lower ends, and canhave an inclined edge 22 facing the flanges 16 and an opposed verticallower edge 24 which is slightly offset from the upper right hand edge 23of the slot. The slots in adjoining rows are typically the mirror imagesof each other. Usually square holes 26 are provided in both flanges 16of the upright, which holes are typically vertically offset with respectto the slots 20.

The cross-support beam 12 can be of any reasonable length and isgenerally formed to include a front face 32 and a rear face 36. The rearface 36 can include a step 38 which typically extends the entire lengthof beam 12 and is formed by the junction of vertical surface 40 andhorizontal surface 42. Welded to each end of the beam 12 is a rightangle vertical bracket 28 which embraces a corner of the upright 10 whenthe beam is connected thereto. Flange 30 of bracket 28 is parallel tothe face 32 of the cross-support beam 12 and carries a pair ofconnectors 34 welded or riveted to the flange 30. Generally, the twoconnectors 34 are vertically spaced a distance equal to twice thedistance between adjacent slots 20 in one row to provide resistance towarping of the beam 12 under load.

The present display 46 is shown in FIG. 2 situated in place on the priorart pallet rack 8 displaying a plurality of folded desk chair mats 48.The pallet rack 8 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to include diagonal andhorizontal spacing members 15 and 17 fixed between forward and rearwarduprights 10. The length of the horizontal spacing members 17 dictate thedistance between the forward and rearward cross-support beams 12. Thedisplay 46 is shown in FIG. 2 to have two sets of horizontal tubularmembers 50, 52, that are telescopically extensible relative to eachother. A plurality of hooks 56 can be situated on and supported by eachtelescopically extensible pair of tubular members 50, 52. The hooks 56are adapted to engage, directly or indirectly, an upper edge 57 of sheetgoods 48 for suspended display within the pallet rack 8. The hooks 56can be movable along the length of the tubular members 50, 52 to permiteasy access to the sheet goods 48 by the purchasing public from eitherthe forward or rearward sides of the rack 8. The number of sets oftelescopically extensible horizontal tubular members 50, 52, that areincluded in a given display 46 can vary. When two or more adjacenttelescopically extensible pairs of tubular members 50, 52, are employedin a single display 46, coupling members 54 can be employed to coupletogether adjacent pairs of the tubular members 50, 52, a fixedseparation distance to provide multiple rows of displayed sheet goods48.

Each of the horizontal tubular members 50, 52 has one end that includesan inverted L-shaped member 58, shown in detail in FIGS. 4 and 5, forengaging the interior step 38 or either the forward or rearwardcross-support beams 12 of the pallet rack 8. The inverted L-shapedmember 58 includes a first portion 60 adapted to engage a horizontalsurface 42 forming an interior step 38 of an existing cross-support beam12 of a pallet rack 8. The engagement between the first portion 60 onthe inverted L-shaped member 58 and the horizontal surface 42 can besimply frictional so that as the number of sheet goods 48 increases, thedownward force by the first portion 60 will be sufficient to restrict orprevent any lateral movement of the tubular members 50, 52 relative tothe pallet rack 8. A second portion 62 of the inverted L-shaped member54 depends from the first portion 60 and is fixed to an end of one ofthe tubular members 50, 52. The height of the first portion 60 of theinverted L-shaped member 58 is preferably no greater than the verticalheight of vertical surface 40 forming the step 38 to ensure that thedisplay 46 will not interfere with any activity taking place in thespace above the supporting cross-support beams 12. The vertical heightof second portion 62 is preferably less than the height of the interiorwall 36 so that the interior wall can prevent any unwanted telescopicexpansion of the tubular members 50, 52, relative to each other. Whilethe tubular members 50, 52 are illustrated to be circular incross-section, other forms can be employed that still permit the desiredtelescopic relative movement to permit adaptation of the display 46 toracks 8 having different separation distances between the forward andrearward cross-support beams 12. The tubular members 50, 52 can includea locking feature to maintain the members at any desired extendedposition relative to each other.

While these features have been disclosed in connection with theillustrated preferred embodiment, other embodiments of the inventionwill be apparent to those skilled in the art that come within the spiritof the invention as defined in the following claims.

1. A display for use in conjunction with a pallet rack having aplurality of uprights connected together by cross-support beam members,the beam members having confronting interior surfaces including a stepextending the entire length of beam members, the step being formed bythe junction of vertical surface and a horizontal surface, the displaycomprising: at least two horizontal tubular members that aretelescopically extensible relative to each other, each of the horizontaltubular members having one end that includes an inverted L-shaped memberfor engaging the step of the pallet rack cross-support member, theinverted L-shaped member having a first portion adapted to engage thehorizontal surface of the step and a second portion depending from thefirst portion, the second portion being fixed to an end of one of thetubular members, and a plurality of hooks situated on and supported byeach telescopically extensible pair of tubular members, the hooks beingadapted to engage, directly or indirectly, an upper edge of sheet goodsfor suspended display within the pallet rack.
 2. The display of claim 1,further comprising coupling members coupling together adjacent pairs ofthe tubular members at a fixed separation distance from each other toprovide multiple rows of displayed sheet goods.
 3. The display of claim1, wherein the height of the first portion of the inverted L-shapedmember is no greater than the vertical height of the vertical surfaceforming the step.
 4. The display of claim 1, wherein the hooks aremovable along the length of the tubular members facilitating access fromeither side of the pallet rack.